Check out this exceptionally cool (& thoroughly functional) car seat from Chicago-based design group, thinkthing. If I had a little one, I would get one of these the second they're available commercially...
Read more about it in Jw's post on MoCo Loco.
image c/o thinkthing.
My aunt has been putting together a family history for the Martin side of my family - in preparation for a book that she's writing. She took the memorial service this past weekend as an opportunity to get more feedback from friends & family.
To help out, I made a sign-in book for the service, where people could write out their fondest memories of Grandpa & the Martins, in general.
images c/o Jw.
One of the best things about writing for a design blog is when you receive emails from artists & designers from around the world. Yesterday, I got a message from designers, Anna Kotowicz & Artur Puszkarewicz, of AZE Design in Poland, regarding some of their new products that are currently in production...
The MESSY tablecloth is genius... so simple & elegant, while still having character & handmade charm. The idea behind the cloth is a bit of a social commentary on how our fast-paced world doesn't really allow us to sit down, eat a meal and, well... make a mess. My favorite element is certainly the "wine" running off the side of the table...
Another piece that Anna & Artur sent me information about was their REM bedclothes. I love the simplicity of this design as well, esp. how the stitching creates depth in the image.
Be sure to check out AZE Design's full portfolio of work here.
So, after I posted about this little guy, I ended up ordering my very own custom felt piece from girlsavage on Etsy...
So, here he is, all ready to ship... my Jackalope Feltidermy in Mustard. I cannot wait 'til he's hanging in my home!!!
images c/o girlsavage.
This past weekend, Jw and I drove down to Cincinnati, OH (my hometown) for my Grandpa's memorial service. It was a bit of a time warp for a lot of us... several of the cousins have had kids over the course of the past several years & some of us hadn't seen each other since we were kids. Nothing makes you realize how much older you've gotten than seeing how much older the people you grew up with are ;)
These shots are actually wallpaper from my Grandpa's house... the top one is from the bathroom just off the living room & the bottom one is the wallpaper in the kitchen. I love how "trendy" these are right now, yet they were picked out decades ago.
Recently I had the pleasure of chatting with Joanna Goddard (who many of you may know as A Cup of Jo) about an interview and tour of my home for Cookie magazine's blog, Nesting. The nursery is included on the "tour", as well as some rooms I've not posted before, such as our bedroom and family room (pictured below).
Thanks again Joanna for posting my home! (Click here for the full tour.)
Cookie and Nesting logos from www.cookiemag.com.
All the well-wishes from you dear readers on the arrival of my new daughter Catherine were so lovely and appreciated. I just want you all to know how very much I was touched by your kind words.
I also appreciate your understanding of my absence these past couple weeks, and Emily's fabulous posts (I am catching up today!). Parenting a newborn really does change your life, most notably that between all the feedings (which we're still trying to work out) and trying to catch some sleep, you look at the clock and it's 7 p.m.!
Anyway, I am back to blogging today...hope to generate some posts this week as I reconnect with the "outside" world.
So, given the ups & downs that our beloved GOCCO has gone through over the past few years, I've made it a habit to buy supplies in somewhat ridiculously huge quantities each time I place an order...
Here are some picks of our latest shipment ;)
The funniest thing is that - with the large amount of GOCCO products OrangeBeautiful has been making lately, this batch will probably only last us a few months!
For more information about the GOCCO printer, check out this old SCOOP post and SaveGocco.com.
Campo De'Fiori Sweater Dress, $175.00 from J.Crew.
When did J.Crew get so... awesome? I'm in love with this multi-color Campo De'Fiori Sweater Dress, part of the new J.Crew Collection...
All of the new prints - including the Campo (above), Zebra and Links - are not what I typically think of when I think of J.Crew. Much of their new collections are a pleasant surprise...
Bahia-print Silk Shirtdress, $245.00 from J.Crew.
I'm also a big fan of the Bahia print (shown above)... I especially like it on this somewhat vintage-cut dress with the crazy ruffled collar. Although, I'm thinking the Campo dress is a bit more my speed.
images c/o J.Crew.
P.S. Did you know about this?
You will all let me know if you're just sick & tired of the OrangeBeautiful Etsy posts, right?...
We're trying to add a few new items each week, as we gear up for the launch of OrangeBeautiful Handmade (which will fit right along side our existing Custom & Wholesale offerings.
Check out the entire shop, right here.
images c/o OB.
Okay... so, I've added one more new blog to my favorites: mstetson design.
Not only is it beautiful - M & Stetson have a great eye & their writing style is professional, yet familiar. This will definitely become one of my new daily reads.
Hope you like it, too!
Last night, I stumbled upon the Etsy shop of girlsavage via the hand-picked items on the homepage. I absolutely adore the plush items on this site. Petal (shown above) would be a fabulous Valentine's Day gift for a lover, a daughter, a friend, a mom... pretty much anyone who loves adorable pink animals.
Personally, I'm seriously contemplating buying one of the awesome flexidermy pieces for my apartment...
image c/o girlsavage.
There was a great video posted by Cool Hunting on Monday about Shanghai-based artist & designer, Chen Hangfeng - who cuts intricate patterns out of paper, using existing (and usually very familiar) logos as the basis of the design.
The above pattern is silkscreened onto Kraft paper, and includes Nike swooshes, the Puma logo, Chanel's double-C, the Motorola logo, and even the Men & Women icons used on public restrooms.
Somehow, all of that comes out looking like an elegant design that I'd love to have as the upholstery on my couch...
Definitely be sure to check out the video interview w/ the artist right here on Cool Hunting.
The site BRAND NEW (a division of UnderConsideration) focuses on corporate identities & the reinvigoration (and sometimes bastardization) of logos... it's really interesting to see how different companies & organizations - old and new - update, revamp, subtly alter, and sometimes completely transform their identity.
I definitely love the change to the Saks Fifth Avenue logo (above)... but then again, I'm a sucker for a good script and simple black & white.
Honestly, I think I like the original Reader's Digest better. The updated version (above right) doesn't have the nostalgia that the original does, but that could be the very reason that they wanted it re-designed.
If you're not in Chicago (or not regularly checking design blogs), you may not have seen the above logos made for Chicago's campaign to host the 2016 Olympics... quite frankly, the original (left) is one of the most beautiful logos I've ever seen. It's update was made, not because anyone felt that the first version wasn't stunning - but rather because the Olympic committee apparently has rules about cities using any of "Olympic imagery" in their campaign logos; i.e. the medals, the rings, the torch, etc... so, Chicago re-did the logo - and, well, the update - I think - is just as lovely.
For more logo comparisons, check out BRAND NEW... I definitely recommend reading more on Saks, Reader's Digest and Chicago's Olympic logo - as well as the posts on Snapple, Delta and Science Channel.
After a few days of sub-zero temperatures, I think I've hit my threshold for winter. Now, I'm all for mid-thirties and fluffy white snow, but it seems I'm already itching for spring weather.
I love the print & color combination on this Uffizi Wrap Dress by Anna Sui, available at Anthropologie...
image c/o Anthropologie.
As we're approaching the SCOOP's 1-year anniversary, I was thinking about just how many blogs I frequent now, as opposed to the amount I did a year ago. There are definitely some staple favorites that I've left on my list of favorites (at the right), but I've also, over the past few months, had a running list of new links to add:
- Ali loves Curtis :: Love the name... and the images posted are beautiful - and well, I'll be the first to admit that my list image (above) was inspired by this post. (Although, mine is totally fake and was written out using Jw's new toy.)
- black.white.bliss :: I'm overly-obsessed with all things B&W, so this blog's focus is perfect: An obsessive collective of all design things black, white and a few shades in between.
- design boner :: design posts by Katie (Porcelain) and Jessica (Cardboard)... I love that they're doing the co-blogger thing just like me & L, +plus, they're from Chicago!
- housemartin :: with posts on dresses made out of paper, lush floral arrangements & modern interiors - what's not to love?...
- Particular Aesthetic :: great write-ups on interiors, home decor, eco-friendly products, etc... and it's where I found these.
- perfectbound :: I was first interested in this blog because of its bookbinding-related name. It turns out it's another two-person operation (like us & DB), which I love... oh, and anyone who is a fan of perfectbound (and other-bound) books, is certainly a friend of mine.
- the bedlam of beefy :: I first checked out this blog after Uncle Beefy commented on a SCOOP post. This blog is full of beautiful finds with the perfect dash of irreverence... and the name is great.
- my little corner of the world :: this is my latest addiction. There's definitely a more personal slant to this blog, which I love... the posts include everything from family events to salvaged letterpresses (which I might need to pick Angela's brain about at some point ;)...
As you may have guessed from my silence this past week, our baby girl has finally arrived! Little Catherine is absolutely wonderful and we feel honored and blessed to be her mom and dad.
I hope to get a post or two up this upcoming week, but as any parents out there know, it has been a bit of a challenge to adapt our old ways into our new life. It might take a little while, but in the meantime, I want to thank Emily for all her fantastic posts this past week!
Goodnight Glider (in Lime) by nurseryworks, $1100.00.
Given all the baby talk that's been happening here at the SCOOP lately, I was really excited to get an email from Summer, letting Laura and I know about her online shop, Fawn & Forest. The company, which specializes in design- forward goods for baby, was "founded on the belief that good design should be enjoyed by the entire family"...
Fuji Toybox (cherry finish) by Argington, $420.00.
Half the furniture that Fawn & Forest carries, I would buy for my apartment and we certainly don't have any babies there (unless you count the cats)... I love the Fuji Toybox (above) - it would work great in our bedroom as at the end of the bed. But I could also see it in L's new nursery, especially the white version.
Studio Crib by nurseryworks, $1068.00.
Now, of course, this wouldn't really be much of a crossover piece - but if I did have a baby, I'd definitely have a crib with super-powers like this one. Not only does it have a hideaway cabinet with an integrated changing table that can later be used a desk (!), it also has an optional "Toddler Bed Conversion Kit" (bottom image), so that you can really extend the life of the crib... oh, and it looks awesome.
images c/o Fawn & Forest.
Jane, over at The Speckled Egg, suggested that I show off more of the "&" invitation that was featured in the latest issue of Brides Chicago... so here it is:
The front of the invite featured a list of pairs that the bride & groom felt were perfect matches... just like them:
When opened, the invite revealed the bride & groom's names - filling the entire center panel... the invitation details were laid out on either side, in the left and right panels:
The clean design carried through onto the response card, which featured a checklist of options:
The wedding program also incorporated the "&" motif. (This image shows the back corner of the program's cover:)
images by e.
I don't quite remember where I first heard about Cricket Press (but it was probably here) - regardless, I'm in love with their work. Their style is definitely reminiscent of Jay Ryan, but with more of an ethereal quality in the illustrations...
I'm sincerely contemplating signing up for their 2008 Art-Print Subscription... I can't really imagine anything better than receiving some beautiful art every single month for a year!
And to keep posted on CP's most recent prints & shows, check out their blog.
images c/o Cricket Press.
For the recent One of a Kind Show, OrangeBeautiful made a limited edition batch of books-in-a-box, which featured 12 hand-stamped, month-to-month blank books, housed snugly in a custom made slipcase. We only made 15 for the 4-day show, and promptly sold all but 3...
One of the last sets will remain in the studio as a working sample (so that we can easily make more!), and the other two were put on hold. However, the reservations were never fulfilled, so the last two are back on the market.
UPDATE :: As of 4:47PM CST, the last two 12-month boxes have been sold. Check the shop for new (similar) products soon!
Lately, I've been finding a lot of inspiration in all things Black & White... so, when a client gave me a link to these great B&W designs, by UK-based illustrator Si Scott, I was incredibly excited:
Scott's fluid, yet meticulous, grasp of type and ornament is something that I really admire. Hopefully, one of these days, I'll get around to drawing more...
Check out the "Work" section of the site for more detail on these (and other) works by Si Scott.
Back in November, OrangeBeautiful celebrated its 3rd Anniversary with an open house... one of the items included in our "schwag bags" was the 3-color, limited edition print shown above.
The few remaining prints are now available for purchase right here (along with a few new Valetine's Day items)...
You can buy the print both unframed and framed... oh, and if you're looking for something papery sweet for Valentine's Day, check out these and these!
image c/o OrangeBeautiful.
The next time you're browsing the newsstands for a new pile of wedding magazines, be sure to grab the Spring/Summer 2008 issue of Brides Chicago... and flip right to page 238!
There you'll find a great write-up on OrangeBeautiful's wedding invitations! (Click here to see a close-up of the article.) ...and we're in great company: at the bottom of the very same page is a write-up on Bari Zaki's Postage with the Mostage... a collaboration between Zaki and Chandra Greer... exclusively at GREER Chicago!
images c/o Brides Chicago.
We're fast approaching the SCOOP's 1-year anniversary (!) and there are now nearly 500 posts in the archive. To help our readers (uh, and us) to find specific things that we've written about in the past, we've now added a SEARCH feature!
There may be a few snags here and there, but for the most part, you'll be able to search everything from "Print GOCCO" to "Barcelona photos" to "wedding invitations" and narrow things down quickly and easily...
Enjoy!
A reader recently expressed interest in locating paper suitcases like the set of three on the bookshelf in the baby's nursery. The shop where I purchased the pale pink set years ago is now out of business, but you can get similar suitcases in pretty pastels (blue, green, and pink), in both small and large sizes, from Pink Loves Brown.
I've always thought these suitcases were so charming, and I particularly like PLB's color assortment. They're surprisingly durable and fun to carry around; I used to tote an assortment of cards from my portfolio in the smallest size!
Image from Pink Loves Brown.
Just a few days after I posted this, a package from my brother and sister-in-law arrived at my apartment with Charley Harper :: An Illustrated Life inside!!!
The book is just stunning and features decades of Charley Harper's "minimal realism". Even though Harper has had several books of work published in the past, this collection is the only retrospective of its size and compiles and entire lifetime of prints and illustrations. You can get a copy for yourself right here.
images c/o Jw.
This luxe, comforting home office designed by Betsy Burnham will always appeal to me. I've loved this image for years and still think it looks so fresh.
The palette of blues, white, chocolate and black creates such interesting contrasts. The mix of textures in the drapery, credenza ornamentation, rug and desk chair really move the eye around the room so all the different elements can be noted and appreciated. Finally, the chandelier creates the right amount of sparkle and finish. This room provided significant inspiration for my own living room's color palette and layered patterns.
Image from Burnham Design.
I love how Vanessa of Turquoise made over this pair of vintage chairs with bold cane-on-cane pattern! The black and gold upholstery is a cheeky nod to the smaller-scale cane pattern on the chairs' arms.
Turquoise recently moved to a beautiful new showroom in Venice, CA. Check out the store pictures here. Congratulations Vanessa!
Image from Turquoise.
This afternoon, I was talking with another blogger about how I don't know if I could commit to choosing a wallpaper for my home. There are so many that I love!
However, this turquoise and gold version of "Ribbed" by fabulous Ferm Living is calling my name right now. I love the background color, the subtle metallic and the vertical orientation of the design, which would make our standard-height ceilings seem higher.
Bonus: Ferm has a blog that shows their papers applied in real homes. It's so fun to look through for inspiration!
Image from Ferm Living.
While testing out the Pounce feature for the first time over at Etsy, I came across this little cutie from morninglori.
Her name is Fae and she's ADORABLE.
I'm about to love it even more because I just learned, via Oh Happy Day, that DwellStudio plans to do a line for Target. Oh happy day indeed!
Can't wait to see more about this line...it looks to debut next month. Read more at domino online.
Image via Oh Happy Day, via domino.
Most of us are still recovering from the holidays that just passed (and getting used to writing "08" instead of "07") - but there's no denying that Valentine's Day is just around the corner...
Over the weekend, I was super-excited to find a Paper Valentine Swap being hosted by Brooke at magnolia grace... I love a good excuse for a project, and I definitely love getting good mail!
For all the details, check out Brooke's original post... sign up & maybe you'll be swapping Valentines with me!
"Love" design c/o magnolia grace.
Okay, okay... so, I admit - the title of this post is totally a rip off of this place, but it just sounded so good.
For those of you who have never met me in person, the above pictures will probably not shock you as much as I'd like them to ;)
I've been growing my hair out for nearly 3 years in order to donate it to a charity called Locks of Love, which accepts donated hair in order to make wigs for (mostly) children who have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata.
This is something that's incredible personal for me given that my mother went through chemotherapy & wore a wig after her hair started falling out... so I was happy to do it. Every time I would get frustrated with my long (and ridiculously thick) hair, I would remember that there would be a little kid somewhere feeling somewhat normal again because of a wig that was made from my hair.
The minimum donation that's usable for making a wig is 10 inches... it doesn't seem like much, but it felt like it took forever to grow. Now, granted, I was still getting pretty regular trims, but it did take nearly 3 years to get to the right length.
I'm ecstatic about having my hair short again - it was a great New Year's change-up... I may grow it out for another donation at some point, but I think it'll be a few years before I'm ready for long tresses again!
images c/o Jw
I can hardly believe I'm writing these words: our nursery is finished. (And on time too!)
Above, some of my favorite elements from the room, most of which are gifts from the grandparents and friends: the Binth numbers poster, the Jenny Lind crib, a rideable stuffed lion, an Irish wool throw, and two decorative throw pillows - Twinkle Living's Zigzag and Thomas Paul's Flock.
The huge LACK bookcase from Ikea is filled with treasures. We hung a TRANBY mirror over the dresser/changing table, which reflects the newly created mobile that hangs in front of it. On another wall, a card from Etui hangs in a brassy frame.
Above is pictured my current favorite piece of furniture in the house: Monte Design's Luca glider, which is incredibly comfortable and will migrate to the family room eventually. Its chocolate brown welting inspired the dresser drawer trim. The artwork on the glider wall includes OrangeBeautiful's Laugh Dream Love print, two gorgeous paintings by my sister-in-law Molly, and a Snow & Graham thank-you note which is letterpressed with the sign language alphabet on the back of the card.
The dresser/changing table was quite a project and I credit my wonderful husband with many hours of messy sanding, priming and painting. But it turned out better than we had even imagined! With all the work that went into it, I couldn't resist lining the drawers with Martha Stewart's Seashell Pink Flourish wrap, which I also used to make baby shower thank you notes.
Many thanks to my husband, our parents, family, and friends for all the special touches that are incorporated into this room; I can't wait to see our daughter grow and play in this space!
Postscript: As reader Leah helpfully pointed out in the comments, excessive crib bedding, including bumpers, pillows, blankets, etc., can be potentially unsafe and even contribute to SIDS. When designing the nursery, I decided to forego a "crib set" which often includes bumpers and a quilt, and instead incorporated two throw pillows as the decorative portions of the crib bedding; these are intended to be easily removed when the baby is in the crib. As a bonus, they can also be used as floor cushions for propping the baby up when she's playing on the floor!
I came to find the beautiful illustration work of Bo Lundberg from this post over at More Ways to Waste Time (thanks, Leah!)...
Lundberg, a graphic designer-turned-illustrator, is based in Stockholm, Sweden & has a past client listing that includes Neiman Marcus, Elle, Vogue & Cosmo, just to name a few...
images c/o Bo Lundberg.
Last year on this date we were on vacation in Mexico. We left on New Year's Eve and while we spent our week in the sun, decided to do the same thing every year. Little did we know that New Year's Eve 2007 would include a countdown to baby (still waiting...), so needless to say vacation this year was out of the question!
Still, while browsing online it's hard to shake the memories of post-holiday sun and surf as shops showcase resort wear and provide first glimpses of Spring 2008 collections. I found this understated, asymmetrical-print canvas tote and these fantastic ($5!) mosaic flip flops, and decided that both would have made the cut for my fantasy beach vacation this year. I think I have to get the flip flops anyway and save them for spring, I can't resist them!
Images from / available at Old Navy.
So, there is a lovely shoe store in Lincoln Square called Traipse that sells some really excellent shoes, including several styles from a company called Cydwoq (pronounced "sidewalk") - most specifically, a pair of amazing orange slip-ons with crazy angled toes (called Next) that I've drooled over umpteen times...
This Christmas, I was lucky enough to be given a Traipse gift certificate (thanks, Jw!) and now I own these amazing shoes!
I'm really looking forward to some less icy weather so that I can wear these every day... for the time being, I think my pair of Nexts will come with me to the studio in a bag & I'll keep wearing these in the snow!
images c/o Jw... and yes, those are my cats, Pablo (top) & Solomon (bottom).
Over the holidays, I made a 2008 calendar for the desktop on my new laptop... it turned out pretty well, so I thought I would share it with all of you!
Click HERE to access the full-size file!
and Happy New Year!
